Guthrie had pointed out that Trump often comes after the competition quite brutally and Kasich could be next.

'I'm not gonna sit there and be a marshmallow and have somebody pound me. We're not just gonna sit back and take a pounding from anybody,' he told her,'but at the same time we're going to tell people what we're for, and I think people really, really like it.'

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John Kasich - the second-place finisher in the New Hampshire primary - celebrated his success on the top morning shows and warned Donald Trump not to mess with him

Kasich is already on the ground in South Carolina and is doing three events a day through the end of the week

Kasich said Tuesday that in his win 'light overcame the darkness.'

He's tried to run an uplifting campaign in over the last few weeks that focuses on his own strengths rather than his opponents' weaknesses.

'I don't think it was the faltering (of other candidates),' Kasich said on Today of his surge to second. 'We were on our way up anyway.'

'Secondly, I had a very positive message. As you know, I was the only one with a really positive message. I always felt that the light could overcome the darkness in a political campaign where we can say what we're for — bringing families together, creating jobs, making sure that no one gets left behind,' he said, repeating his mantra.

He didn't have to do the dirty work. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie did it for him, destroying Marco Rubio, a top dog heading into the state, at a Saturday night debate.

The move didn't help Christie - who suspended his campaign today after finishing near last in New Hampshire - but it had the intended effect on Rubio, who came in a disappointing fifth behind Trump, Kasich, Cruz and Bush.

Kasich's super PAC, New Day for America, has also acted as attack dog, going after Trump's military preparedness and brash rhetoric.

The candidate isn't exactly a Boy Scout when it comes to negative campaigning, either.

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'It's a long race. We're going to go through South Carolina, ultimately to the Midwest,' Kasich said today on Good Morning America. 'This is a long, long race.' He's seen here at an event in the Palmetto State this afternoon

Kasich said Tuesday that in his win 'light overcame the darkness.' He's tried to run an uplifting campaign in over the last few weeks that focuses on his own strengths rather than his opponents' weaknesses.

He ran a web ad in November throwing Trump's comments about Muslims and Hispanics and treatment of protesters back in his face.

'Think about this: If he keeps going, and he actually becomes president, he might just get around to you. And you better hope there's someone left to help you,' a former Vietnam POW recruited by the campaign declares.

It led to a bitter back and forth on Twitter between the two candidates.

'Going to Ohio, home of one of the worst presidential candidates in history--Kasich. Can't debate, loves #ObamaCare--dummy!' Trump tweeted at him as he campaigned in his rival's back yard.

Kasich told him in response, 'A bully never expects anyone to fight back. And tonight you saw what happens when we did. See you on the trail, Mr. Trump.'

Trump likewise pushed back on Kasich's claim that he's kept the gloves on throughout the primary as he did his own tour of the morning shows today.

'You know, he talked about [how] he's not going negative, but he did a negative commercial on me, so I didn't like that,' Trump said this morning on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe.'

He threatened to take 'a little bit tougher stance' on the governor in the next round of campaigning.

STRONG FINISH: 'I had a very positive message. As you know, I was the only one with a really positive message. I always felt that the light could overcome the darkness in a political campaign where we can say what we're for — bringing families together, creating jobs, making sure that no one gets left behind,' he said this morning, repeating his mantra

Kasich attempted to stay on Trump's good side last night as he spoke to supporters at his watch party.

'I want to congratulate Donald Trump,' he said at the celebration to boos from his supporters. 'No, no, he won fair and square,' Kasich said.

Upbeat, the governor said 'there’s magic in the air with this campaign.'

And he predicted that it would carry him through South Carolina, the next state up in the GOP's competition, and beyond.

'There’s so much gonna happen, if you don’t have a seatbelt...go get one!' Kasich said, repeating a laugh line from last Saturday's debate.

New Day immediately set to work projecting strength in South Carolina, telling DailyMail.com it's already made a million voter contacts there on Kasich's behalf.

The PAC has six offices in the state and eight full-time staff members - one for each congressional district plus a state director.

By comparison, it also had six offices in New Hampshire, a state with a third of the population of the Palmetto State. And it had 17 dedicated staffers there.

Kasich is already on the ground there and is doing three events a day through the end of the week.

'It's a long race. We're going to go through South Carolina, ultimately to the Midwest,' Kasich said today on Good Morning America. 'This is a long, long race.'

He warned, 'Everybody always underestimates me.'

The Ohio politician hopes to stick it out until March, when his home state votes. If he wins there, he'll pick up a total slate of delegates in the winner-take-all contest, wiping away his early loss in Iowa.